J.on/?/>r>, Pubh/fifitl /y J/arc/iruj, Sriphook & XeparcL, Scpt r jffiS, 
 
THE 
 
 LIFE, DEATH, AND ACTIONS 
 
 OF 
 
 THE MOST CHAST, LEARNED, AND 
 RELIGIOUS LADY, 
 
 THE 
 
 LADY IANE GRAY, 
 
 DAUGHTER TO THE DUKE OF SVFFOLKE. 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 fovre principall discourses, 
 
 WRITTEN WITH HER OWNE HANDS. 
 
 THE FIRS" AN ADMONITION TO SUCH AS ARE WEAKE IN FAITH 
 THE SECOND A CATECHISME : 
 
 THE THIRD AN EXHORTATION TO HER SISTER : 
 
 AND THE I. AST, HER WORDS AT HER DEATH. 
 
 MATH. 5. 8. 
 
 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 
 
 London . printed by G. Eld, for lohn Wright : and are to be 
 sold at his shop without Newgate, at the signe 
 of the Bible 1615. 
 

 
 Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2016 
 
 
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 LIFE, DEATH, AND ACTIONS 
 
 OF 
 
 the most chast, learned, and religious 
 lady, the lady iane gray, 
 
 DAUGHTER TO THE DUKE OF SUFFOLK: 
 
 CONTAINING FOURS PRINCIPALL DISCOURSES WRITTEN WITH 
 HER OWN HANDS • THE FIRST AN ADMONITION TO SUCH 
 AS ARE WEARE IN FAITH, THE SECOND A CATE- 
 CHISME, THE THIRD AN EXHORTATION TO 
 HER SISTER, AND THE LAST, HER 
 WORDS AT HER DEATH. 
 
 Some worthy parcels or excellent Essayes of 
 the neuer-mough to be imitated vertues, of that 
 most admirable, wise, learned, and religious 
 Lady , the Ladie Iane Gray, Daughter to the 
 Duke of SufFolke, and vnfortunate wife of the 
 Lord Guildford Dudley, sonne to the duke of 
 Northumberland, comming in an old auncient 
 printed copie, vnto my hands as it were halfe 
 forgotten in the world, or like a curious monu- 
 ment whose well-earned figures, and rare archi- 
 tecture the dust and cobwebs had iniuriously 
 defaced : I could not, out of charitie and chris- 
 
 492263 
 
4 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 tian loue to a mirrour of such excellence, but 
 with my best art and industry pollisli and dense 
 a perfection so noble, holy, and worthy all good 
 mens imitations, and as it were to awaken the 
 sleepie world from her fantasticke lethargie, to 
 behold in that, which we call the weaker sexe 
 a strength matchlesse and inuincible : a Saba 
 that had so oft heard the wisedome of Solomon, 
 that ten thousand of our Solomons may come now 
 to be instructed at this Saba: briefely a Lady in 
 all goodness so perfect, that whosoeuer could 
 game but some part of her shadow, might liaue 
 inough in these latter dayes to boast and ranke 
 tliemselues with the best that are called vei'tuous, 
 so flatteringly are attributes cast vpon the liuing, 
 and so maliciously slander vpon the dead. 
 
 To returne then to my discourse, you may by 
 that which hath been formerly spoke of her birth 
 and marriage, iudge the greatnesse of her blond 
 and place, both which were farre ouer shined by 
 her vertues, as shall bee declared hereafter : 
 she was born in England, and there brought vp 
 in learning, and religion, with that prosperous 
 and deuout painfulnesse, that as seede cast vpon 
 the best and most fruitfulst ground she brought 
 forth her increase in such aboundance of infill its. 
 
OF THE LADY IANE GRAY. 5 
 
 that the' least of her excellencies were impossible 
 to bee circumscribed: for proofe whereof, that 
 euery iudgement may stand stedfast in the opinion 
 of her perfection, I will here deliuer vnto you 
 an Epistle of her owne penning, sent to a noble 
 friend of hers in the Court of England, being in 
 those daies of persecution fallen from the truth of 
 Gods holy word for feare of the world, in which 
 you shall find so much learning, charitie, and 
 diuine readings, that by this one talent onely this 
 princely eagle may be truely discouered how 
 potent and vnmatchable the great substance of 
 so rich a vertue is. 
 
 AN EPISTLE OF THE LADY IANE GRAYES TO A NOBLE FRIEND 
 OF HERS NEWLY FALNE FROM THE TRUTH. 
 
 So oft as I call to minde (deare friend and 
 chosen Brother) the dreadfull and fearefull sayings 
 of God, that he which layeth hold ypon the plow 
 and looketh back againe, is not meet for the 
 kingdome of heauen. And on the other side to 
 remember the comfortable words of our Sauiour 
 Christ, to all those that forsaking themselues do 
 follow him : I cannot but maruell at thee and 
 lament thy case ; that thou, which somtimes wert 
 
THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 the liuely member of Christ, but now the deformed 
 impe of the diuell ; sometimes the beautifull 
 temple of God, but now the stinking and filthy 
 kenell of Sathan ; sometimes the vnspotted spouse 
 of thy Sauiour, but now the vnshamefast para- 
 mour of Antichrist, sometimes my faithfull bro- 
 ther, but now a stranger and apostate, yea some- 
 times my stout Christian soldior, but now a cowardly 
 runaway. So oft as I consider the threatnings 
 and promises of the Diuine Justice to all those 
 which faithfully loue him : I cannot but speake to 
 thee, yea, rather cry out and cxclaime against 
 thee, thou seed of Sathan, and not of Juda, whom 
 the diuell hath dcceiued, the world hath beguiled, 
 and desire of life hath subuerted, and made of a 
 Christian an infidell. 
 
 Wherefore hast thou taken vpon thee the Testa- 
 ment of the Lord in thy mouth? wherefore hast 
 thou hitherto yeelded thy body to the fire, and to 
 the bloudy hands of cruel tyrants? wherefore hast 
 thou instructed others to he strong in Christ, 
 when thou thy selfe dost now so horribly abuse 
 the testament and law of the Lord, when thou 
 thy selfe preachedst (as it were not to steale) 
 yet most abhominably stealest, not from men, 
 but from God, and as a most liainous sacrilegious 
 
OF THE LADY IAN E GRAY. 
 
 7 
 
 robber, robbesfc Christ thy redeemer of his right 
 in his members, thy body and thy soule ; when 
 thou thy selfe dost rather chuse to liue miserably 
 (with shame) in this world, then to die gloriously 
 and raigne in honor with Christ, to the end of 
 all eternitie, in whom euen in death there is life 
 beyond wish, beyond all expression: and when I 
 say thou thy selfe art most weake, thou oughtest 
 to show thy selfe most strong, for the strength of 
 a fort is not knowne before the assault, but thou 
 yeeldest (like a faint captaine) thy hold before 
 any battry be brought against thee. 
 
 Oh wretched and vnhappy man what art thou 
 but dust and ashes, and wilt thou resist thy 
 maker, that formed and fashioned thee : wilt thou 
 now forsake him that called thee from custome- 
 gatliering among the Romish Anti Christians, to 
 be an embassador and messenger of his eternall 
 word; he that first framed thee, and since thy 
 creation and birth preserued thee, nourished thee, 
 and kept thee, yea, and inspired thee with the 
 spirit of knowledge (I cannot, I would I could 
 say of grace) shall he not possesse thee, darest 
 thou deliuer vp thy selfe to another, being not 
 thine owne but his? how canst thou, hauing 
 knowledge, or how darest thou neglect the law of 
 
8 
 
 THE LIFE AND D EAT I i 
 
 the Lord, and follow the vaine traditions of men? 
 and whereas thou hast been a publique professor 
 of his name, become now a defacer of his glorie. 
 
 I will not refuse the true God, and worship the 
 inuention of man, the golden calfe, the whore of 
 Babylon, the Romish religion, the abhominable 
 idol, the most wicked masse : wilt thou torment 
 againe, rent and teare the most precious bodie 
 of our Sauior Christ with thy bodily and fleshly 
 teeth, without the breaking whereof vpon the 
 crosse, our sins and transgressions, could els no 
 way he redeemed? wilt thou take vpon thee to 
 offer vp any sacrifice vnto God for our sinnes, 
 considering that Christ offered vp himselfe (as S. 
 Paul saith) vpon the Crosse, a liuely sacrifice 
 once for all. 
 
 Can neither the punishment of the Israelites 
 (which for their idolatry so oft they receiued) 
 moue thee ; neither the terrible threatnings of 
 the ancient prophets stirre thee, nor the crosses 
 of Gods own mouth feare thee to honor any other 
 God then him? wilt thou so regard him that 
 spared not his deare and onely sonne for thee, 
 so diminishing, yea vtterly extinguishing his 
 glory, that thou wilt attribute the praise and 
 honor to idols, which haue mouths and speake 
 
OF THE LADY IANE GRAY. 9 
 
 not, eyes and see not, eares and yet heare not, 
 which shall perish with them that made them : 
 what saith the prophet Baruck, where he reciteth 
 the epistle of Ieremie, written to the eaptiue 
 Jewes, did he not forewarne them that in Baby- 
 lon they should see Gods of gold, siluer, wood, 
 and stone, borne vpon mens sholders to cause a 
 feare vpon the heathen? hut be not you afraid 
 of them (saith Ieremy) nor do as other doe : but 
 when you see others worship them, say you in 
 your hearts, it is thou (O Lord) that oughtest 
 only to be worshipped : for as touching the timber 
 of those Gods the carpenter framed them, and 
 pollished them, yea guilded they be and laid ouer 
 with siluer and vaine things and cannot speake : he 
 sheweth moreouer, the abuse of their deckings, how 
 the priests tooke off their ornaments, and apparel- 
 led their women therewithall : how one holdetli a 
 scepter, another a sword in his hand, and yet 
 can they iudge in no matter, nor defend tliem- 
 selues, much lesse any other, from either hatred 
 or murther, nor yet from gnawing wormes, dust, 
 filth, or any other euill thing: these and such 
 like words speaketh Ieremy vnto them, whereby 
 he proueth them but vaine things, and no Gods, 
 and at last hee concludeth thus ; confounded bee 
 those that worship them. 
 
10 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 They were warned by Ieremie, and thou as 
 Ieremie hast warned others, and art warned thy 
 selfe by many Scriptures in many places. 
 
 God saith he is a iealous God, which will haue 
 all honor, glory, and worship giuen to him onely. 
 And Christ saith in the fourth of Luke, to Sathan 
 which tempted him : euen to the same Sathan, 
 the same Belzebub, the same Diuell which hath 
 preuailed against thee : it is written (saith he) 
 thou shalt honour the Lord thy God, and him 
 onely shalt thou seme. 
 
 These and such like do prohibit thee, and all 
 Christians to worship any other God then he 
 which was before al worlds, and laid the foundations 
 both of heauen and earth, and wilt thou honor 
 a detestable idol inuented by the Popes of Rome, 
 and the vncharitable colledge of politick Cardinals? 
 
 Christ offered vp himselfe once for all, and 
 wilt thou offer him vp againe dayly at thy 
 pleasure? but thou wilt say thou doest it for a 
 good intent? Oh sinke of sinne ! Oh child of 
 perdition ! canst thou dreame of any good entent 
 therein, when thy conscience beareth thee witnes 
 of the wrath of God promised against thee ? 
 
 How did Saul, who for that hee disobayed the 
 word of God for a good entent: was throwne 
 from his worldly and temporal kingdome : shalt 
 
OK THE LADY IANE GRAY. 
 
 11 
 
 thou then which doest so deface Gods honour, 
 and rob him of his right, inherit the eternall 
 heauenly kingdome? wilt thou for a good entent 
 pluck Christ out of heauen, and make his death 
 voide, and deface the triumph of his crosse, offering 
 him vp dayly? wilt thou either for feare of death, 
 or hope of life, deny and refuse thy God, who 
 inriched thy pouerty, healed thine infirmitie, and 
 yeelded to this victory if thou wouldst haue kept 
 it? doest thou not consider that the tliryd of life 
 hangeth vpon him that made thee, who can (as 
 his will is) either twine it hard to last the longer, 
 or vntwine it againe to breake the sooner? Doest 
 thou not remember the saying of Dauid, a notable 
 king, which teacheth thee, a miserable wretch, 
 in his 104 Psalme, where he saith, When thou 
 takest away thy spirit (O Lord) from men, they 
 dye, and are turned againe to their dust, but 
 when thou lettest thy breath go forth, they shall 
 be made and thou shalt renew the face of the 
 earth. 
 
 Remember the saying of Christ in his Gospel, 
 whosoeuer seeketh to saue his life shall loose it, 
 but whosoeuer will loose it for my sake shall 
 finde it : and in another place : Who so euer 
 loueth father or mother aboue me, is not meet 
 
12 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 for me, for he that will be my disciple, must 
 forsake father and mother, and himself, and take 
 vp his crosse and follow me : what crosse ? the 
 crosse of infamy and shame, of misery and 
 pouerty, of affliction and persecution for his 
 names sake. 
 
 Let the oft falling of those heauenly showers 
 pierce thy stony heart, let the two edged sword 
 of Gods holy word hew a sunder the knit-together 
 sinewes of worldly respects, euen to the very 
 marrow and life blood of thy carnall heart, that 
 thou maist once againe forsake thy selfe, to 
 imbracc Christ, and like as good subiects will not 
 refuse to hazard all in the defence of their earthly 
 and temporall gouernors, so fly not like a white 
 lyuerd milk-sop from the standard, whereby thy 
 chiefe Captaine Christ hath placed thee in a noble 
 aray of this life : viriliter ago confortetur cor 
 tuum et sustine dominum, fight manfully, come 
 life, come death, the quarrell is Gods, and vn- 
 doubtedly the victory is ours. 
 
 But thou wilt say I will not breake vnitie : 
 what? not the vnity of Sathan and his members, 
 not the vnity of darknes, the agreement of anti- 
 christ, and his adherents ? nay then thou deceiuest 
 thy selfe with fond imaginations of such an vnitie 
 
OF THE LADY I ANE GRAY. 
 
 13 
 
 as is amongst the enemies of Christ : were not 
 the false prophets in an vnity : were not Iosephs 
 brethren, Iaeobs sons, in an vnity: were not the 
 heathen as the Amelechites, the Pheresits and 
 Iebusits in an vnitie ? I keepe no order but looke 
 rather to my matter : were not the Scribes and 
 Pharisies in an vnitie : doth not King- Dauid 
 testifie, conueiiiunt in vnum aduersus Bominum, 
 yea, theeues and murtherers, conspirators and 
 tray tors liaue their vnitie. 
 
 Marke my deare friend (yea friend if thou beest 
 not Gods enemy,) there is no vnitie but when 
 Christ knitteth the knot amongst such as be his, 
 yea bee you well assured that where his truth is 
 resident, there it is verified, that he saith : Non 
 veni mittere pacem in tgrram sed gladium, that 
 is, Christ came to set one against another; the 
 sonne against the father, the daughter against 
 the mother: deceiue not thy selfe therfore with the 
 glistring and glorious name of vnity, for anti- 
 christ hath his vnity, yet not in deed, but in 
 name, for the agreement of euill men is not an 
 vnitie, but a conspiracie. 
 
 Thou hast heard some threatnings, some 
 curses, and some admonishments of the Scriptures 
 to those which loue themselues aboue Christ. 
 
4 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 
 Thou hast heard also the sharp and biting 1 
 words to those which deny him for loue of life, 
 saith hee not, that hee which denieth mee before 
 men, I will deny him before my Father which is 
 in heauen : and to the same effect writeth S. 
 Paul in the 6. to the Hebrewes, saying, it is im- 
 possible, that they which haue been once lightned, 
 and haue tasted of the heauenly gift of grace, 
 and beene made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 
 and haue relished of the pure word of God, if 
 they fall and slide away, it is impossible that 
 they should bee renewed againe by repentance, 
 crucifying againe to themselues the Son of God, 
 and making him as it were a mocking-stock, or 
 gaud of their fancies. And againe (saith he) if 
 we shall willingly sin after we haue receiued the 
 knowledge of the truth, there is no oblation left 
 for sin, but the terrible expectation of iudgement 
 and fire which shall deuour the aduersaries. 
 Thus S. Paul writeth, and thus thou readest, 
 and dost thou not quake and tremble? well, if 
 these terrible and thundering alarums cannot stir 
 thee to arise and cleaue vnto Christ, and forsake 
 the world, yet let the sweet consolations and 
 promises of the Scriptures : let the examples of 
 Christ and his Apostles, both Martyrs and Cc»i- 
 
OF THE LADY I ANE GRAY. 
 
 15 
 
 fessors, encourage thee to take faster hold hy 
 Christ. Hearken what he saitli againe in his 
 holy Gospell; blessed are you when men reuile 
 you, and persecute you for my sake, reioyce and 
 bee glad, for great is your reward in heauen, for 
 so persecuted they the Prophets before you. 
 
 Heare what Esay saith : feare not the curse of 
 men, be not affraid of their blasphemies and 
 reuilings, for wormes and mothes shall eat them 
 yp like cloath and wooll, but my righteousnesse 
 shall endure for euer, and my sauing health from 
 generation to generation : what art thou then 
 (saith he) that fearest a mortall man, the child 
 of a man, which fadeth away as doth the flower, 
 and forgettest the Lord that made thee, that 
 spread out the heauens like a curtaine, and laid 
 the foundations of the earth, so sure, that they 
 can not he remooued: I am the Lord thy God, 
 which maketh the sea to rage, and to he still, 
 who is the Lord of hoasts ; I shall put my word 
 in thy mouth, and defend thee with the turning 
 of a hand. And our Sauiour Christ saith to his 
 disciples : they shall accuse you, and bring you 
 before the princes and rulers for my name sake, 
 and some of you they shal persecute and kill : 
 but feare you not (saith he) neither care you not 
 
16 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 what you shall say, for it is my spirit that 
 speaketh in you, the hand of the highest shall 
 defend you, for the liaires of your heads are 
 numbred, and none of them shall perish. I haue 
 laid vp treasure for you (saith he) where no 
 theefe can steale, nor moth corrupt, and happy 
 are you if you endure to the end. Feare not 
 them (saith Christ) which haue power ouer the 
 body onely, but feare him that hath power both 
 ouer the body and the soule ; the world loueth 
 her ovvne, and if you were of the world the world 
 would loue you, but you are mine, and therefore 
 the world doth hate you. 
 
 Let these and such like consolations out of the 
 Scriptures, strengthen you to God-ward : let not 
 the examples of holie men and women go out of 
 your mind, as that of Daniel, and the rest of the 
 prophets; of the three children of Eleazarus, 
 that constant father ; the Machabees children, 
 that of Peter, Paul, Stephen, and other Apostles 
 and holy martyrs, in the beginning and infancy 
 of the Church; as of good Simeon Arch-bishop 
 of Scloma and Zctrophone, with infinite others, 
 vnder Sapores the king of the Persians and 
 Indians, who contemned all torments deuised by 
 the tyrants for their Sauiours sake. 
 
OF THE LADY IANE GRAY. 
 
 17 
 
 Returne, returne againe for honour and mercies 
 sake into the way of Christ Jesus, and as be- 
 commeth a faithfull souldiour, put on that armor 
 which S. Paul teacheth to be most necessary for 
 a Christian man, and aboue all thinges, take to 
 you the shield of faith. 
 
 And be you most deuoutly prouoked by Christs 
 owne example, to withstand the deuill, to forsake 
 the world, and to become a true and faithfull 
 member of his mysticall body, who spared not 
 his owne flesh for our sinnes. Throw down thy 
 selfe with the feare of his threatned vengeance 
 for this so great and haynous offence of apostacy, 
 and comfort your selfe on the other part with the 
 mercy, blood, and promises of him that is ready 
 to turne to you whensoeuer you turne to him : 
 disdaine not to come againe with the lost son, 
 seeing you haue so wandred with him: be not 
 ashamed to turn againe with him from the swill 
 of strangers, to the delicates of the most benigne 
 and louing father, acknoAvledging that you haue 
 sinned against lieauen and earth, against heauen 
 by stayning his glorious name, and causing his 
 most sincere and pure word to bee euill spoken 
 of through you, against earth by offending your 
 
 c 
 
18 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 so many weake bretheren to whom you liaue been 
 a stumbling block through your suddaine sliding. 
 
 Bee not ashamed to come againe with Mary, 
 and to weep bitterly with Peter, not only with 
 shedding of teares out of your bodily eyes but 
 also pouring out the streames of your heart, to 
 wash away, out of the sight of God, the filth and 
 mire of your offensiue fall, bee not ashamed 
 to say witli the publican, Lord be mercifull vnto 
 mee a sinner: remember the horrible history of 
 Iulian of old, and the lamentable case of Francis 
 Spira of late, whose remembrance me thinketh 
 should be yet so greene to your memory, that 
 being a thing of our time, you should feare the 
 like inconuenience, seeing that you are falne into 
 the like offence. Last of all, let the liuely 
 remembrance of the last day be alwaies before 
 your eyes, remembriug the terror that such shall 
 bee in at that time, with the runnagates and 
 fugitiues from Christ, which setting more by the 
 world then by heauen, more by their life then by 
 him that gaue them their life, more by the vanity 
 of a painful bretli, then the perfic assurance of 
 eternal saluation, did shrinke; yea, did cleane 
 fall away from him that neuer forsooke them. 
 
OF THE LADY I ANE GRAY. 
 
 19 
 
 And contrariwise, the inestimable ioyes prepared 
 for them, which feared no perill nor dreading 
 death, haue manfullie fought, and victoriously 
 tryumphed ouer all power of darknesse; ouer 
 hell, death, and damnation, through their most 
 redoubted Captaine Iesvs Christ our Sauiour, 
 Avho euen now stretcheth out his armes to receiue 
 you, ready to fall vppon your necke, and kisse 
 you : and last of all, to feast you with the dainties 
 and delicates of liis owne most pretious blood, 
 which vndoubtedly, if it might stand with his 
 determinate purpose, hee would not let to shed 
 againe, rather then you should be lost : to whom 
 with the Father and the Holy Ghost, bee all 
 honor, praise and glory euerlastingly. Amen. 
 
 Yours if you be Christs, 
 
 Iane Gray. 
 
 Postscript. 
 
 Be constant, be constant, feare not for paine, 
 
 Christ hath deliuer’d thee, and heauen is thy gaine. 
 
 I. G. 
 
 Thus hauing read her owne words, penned by 
 her owne hand, and waved well the depth and 
 greatnesse of her most charitable devotion, her 
 pregnant and rare knowledge in the Booke of 
 God, her sweete ellocution in the scholler-like 
 
20 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 connexture and marriage of the best words and 
 phrases together: who can liaue that possible 
 dulnesse of spirit in him , as not to conclude and 
 beleeue that her birth, her education, and all the 
 naturall inclinations of her own spirits were 
 sutable and agreeing with that best goodnes, 
 which (how sildome extant) yet is euer expected 
 in all noble personages, for indeed gentry it selfe 
 is but vertue, and all dignity added to gentry 
 doth but as it were baptise it with a more re- 
 nowned title of the most excellent vertue ; in 
 which stile this ladie might take a large boast, 
 and instead of Cresars veni, vidi, vici; of her 
 may be said, she was noble, cliast, and religious: 
 but some (ouer curious to examine goodnesse) 
 may reply vnto me, that her honour was her 
 ancestors, and not the worke of her fundamentall 
 institution, and therefore not altogether so 
 glorious : that her sober and cliast life was either 
 a singular guift from aboue, or a tormenting 
 feare of the shame of this world, continually 
 stird vp in her blood, through the discourse of 
 readings or examples, and that her religion being 
 traduc’d from the instructions of her first parents, 
 and seconded by the learned admonitions of them 
 of the same opinion : her minde, as it were, beeing 
 
OF THE LADY IANE GRAY. 
 
 21 
 
 vtterly ynacquainted with any other contrary 
 Argument, but euer soothed vp and fortefied in 
 one path onely, that it was no great worke either 
 of maruaile or maistery, that she continued either 
 so good, constant, or violent in the heate of her 
 zealousnesse, whereas if shee had heard the 
 continuall temptation of the aduersarie, and beene 
 enforced to haue held a long battel with men, 
 esteemed profound in a quite opposite opinion, or 
 had beene burthened with the heauy and tyran- 
 nous yoake of authority, which by intolerable 
 afflictions would haue not onely threatned the 
 bending, but the breaking of her heart and bowels, 
 if shee had not yeelded to the wil of their opinions, 
 then for her brauely to haue held out such a 
 weary siedge, and with a setled constancy to haue 
 vndergon and triumphed in such a Christian war- 
 fare, had not only beene memorable, but rare, 
 matchlesse, and renowned. 
 
 To let passe the two first suggestions, being 
 sleight, and not worthy the labour of any serious 
 pen, because no doubt ought to be made where 
 there is a probable assurance : and to come to 
 this last inference touching her temptations, being 
 so great and heauy, that they came neare to the 
 point of martyrdome : you shall vnderstand, that 
 
THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 QQ 
 
 after her most vnfortunate marriage, and the vtter 
 defaiture almost of her name and honors ; others 
 ambitions hairing embarqued her into those rougli 
 waues, which of necessity must swallow her (as 
 you may at large read in the whole story of our 
 Chronicles) diners learned Romish Catholikes, 
 and euen those which were of the best fame and 
 reputation, were sent vnto her to dissuade her 
 from that true profession of the Gospell, which 
 from her cradle she had euer held, each striuing 
 by art, by flattery, by threatnings, by promise of 
 life, or what else might mooue most in the bosome 
 of a weake woman, who should become master 
 of so great and worthy a prize, but all their 
 labours were bootlesse : for she had art to con- 
 found their art, wisedome to withstand their 
 flatteries, resolution aboue their menaces, and 
 such a true knowledge of life, that death was to 
 her no other then a most familiar acquaintance : 
 in the end a deep-read divine called M. Fecken- 
 ham, then Chaplaine to Queene Mary, was sent 
 vnto her about some foure dayes before her death, 
 who had with her a long and tedious disputation, 
 but as the rest found himselfe in all holy gifts so 
 short of her excellence, that he acknowledged 
 himselfe fitter to bee her disciple, then teacher: 
 
uivj w jsr vciu-uru, 1.1 ><„wu:n vj w \y‘' ^ 
 
 Lord GILFORD DUDLEY.^k was beheaded onTowcr-h'tll 
 
 in 
 
 London Februane y zi. i at i$yeares 
 
 ’W'M-Jiulj) 
 
OF THE LADY IANE GRAY. 
 
 23 
 
 and therevpon humbly besought her to deliuer 
 vnto him some briefe summe of her faith, which 
 hee might hereafter keepe, and as a faithfull 
 witnesse publish to the world ; to which shee 
 willingly condiscended, and bad him boldly ques- 
 tion her in what points of religion so euer it 
 pleased him, and she would giue her faithfull and 
 beleeuing answere, such as shee would euer bee 
 ready to seale with her dearest blood: the summe 
 of which conference you shall heare read as it 
 was written with her own hand, and her name 
 subscribed there vnto, as followeth. 
 
 A CONFERENCE DIALOGUE-WISE HELD BETWEENE THE LADY 
 IANE DUDLEY AND M. FECKENHAM, FOURE DAYES BEFORE 
 HER DEATH, TOUCHING HER FAITH AND RELIGION. 
 
 Feck. What thing is required in a Christian? 
 lane. To beleeue in God the Father, in God 
 the Sonne, in God the Holy Ghost, three persons 
 and one God. 
 
 Feck. Is there nothing else required in a 
 Christian, but to beleeue in God? 
 
 lane. Yes: We must beleeue in him, wee must 
 loue him, with all our heart, with all our soule, 
 and all our minde, and our neighbour as our selfe. 
 
24 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 Feck. Why then faith iustifieth not, nor saueth 
 not? 
 
 lane. Yes, verily, faith (as S. Paul saitli) onely 
 iustifieth. 
 
 Feck. Why S. Paul saitli, if I haue all the faith 
 of the world, without loue, it is nothing 1 . 
 
 lane. True it is, for how can I loue him I trust 
 not, or how can I trust in him whom I loue not, 
 faith and loue eucr agree together, and yet loue 
 is comprehended in faith. 
 
 Feck. How shall we loue our neighbour? 
 
 lane. To loue our neighbour, is to feed the 
 hungry, cloth the naked, and to giue drinke to the 
 thirsty, and to do to him as we would doe to our 
 selues. 
 
 Feck. Why then it is necessarie to saluation 
 to doe good workes, and it is not sufficient to 
 beleeue ? 
 
 lane. 1 deny that I affirme that faith onely 
 saueth : hut it is meet for all Christians, in token 
 that they follow their master Christ, to doe good 
 works : yet may we not say, nor in any wise 
 beleeue, that they profit to saluation: for although 
 we haue done all that we can, yet wee are 
 vnprofitable seruants, and the faith we haue onely 
 in Christs blood, and his merits saueth. 
 
OF THE LADY IANE GRAY. 
 
 25 
 
 Feck. How many Sacraments are there? 
 lane. Two : the one the Sacrament of Baptisme, 
 Vnd the other the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. 
 Feck. No, there he seuen Sacraments, 
 lane. By what Scripture finde you that? 
 
 Feck. Well wee will talke of that hereafter : 
 but what is signified by your two Sacraments. 
 
 lane. By the Sacrament of Baptisme I am 
 washed with water, and regenerated in the Spirit, 
 and that washing is a token to mee that I am the 
 child of God : the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 
 is offered vnto me as a sure seale and testimonie, 
 that I am, by the blood of Christ which liee shed 
 for me on the crosse, made partaker of the 
 euerlasting kingdome. 
 
 Feck. Why what doe you receiue in that 
 bread, doe you not receiue the very body and 
 bloud of Christ? 
 
 lane. No surely, I doe not beleeue so : I 
 thinke at that Supper I receiue neither flesh nor 
 bloud, hut onely bread and wine, the which bread 
 when it is broken, and the wine when it is 
 drunke, putteth mee in minde how that for my 
 sinnes the body of Christ was broken, and his 
 bloud shed on the crosse, and with that bread 
 and wine I receiue the benefits which came by 
 
26 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 breaking of his body, and by the shedding of his 
 bloud on the crosse for my sinnes. 
 
 Feck. Why but (Madame) doth not Christ 
 speake these words: take eate, this is my body: 
 can you require any plainer words : doth he not 
 say, that it is his body? 
 
 lane. I grant he saitli so; and so he saith 
 likewise in other places, I am the vine, I am the 
 doore, it being onely but a figuratiue speech : doth 
 not S. Paul say that he calleth those things 
 which are not as though they were: God forbid, 
 that I should say that I eate the very naturall 
 body and bloud of Christ : for then either I should 
 plucke away my redemption, or confesse there 
 were two bodies, or two Christs : two bodies, 
 the one body was tormented on the crosse, and 
 then if they did eate another body, how absurd : 
 againe, if his body was eaten really, then it was 
 not broken vp on the crosse, or if it were broken 
 vpon the crosse (as it is doubtlesse) then it was 
 not eaten of his Disciples. 
 
 Feck. Why is it not as possible that Christ 
 by his power could make his body both to be 
 eaten and broken, as to bee borne of a woman 
 without the seed of man, and as to walk on the 
 sea hauing a body, and other such like myracles 
 which he wrought by his power onely. 
 
 
OF THE LADY IANE GRAY. 
 
 27 
 
 lane. Yes, verily, if God would liaue done at 
 his last supper a myracle, he might haue done 
 so : but I say he minded nor intended no worke 
 or myracle, but onely to breake his bodie, and 
 shed his bloud on the crosse for our sinnes : but 
 I beseech you answere me to this one question ; 
 where was Christ when he said: take eate, this 
 is my body: was not he at the table, when he 
 said so hee was at that time aliue, and suffered 
 not till the next day? Well, what tooke hee but 
 bread ? and what broke hee but bread ? and what 
 gaue hee but bread? looke what hee tooke hee 
 brake, and looke what hee brake hee gaue, and 
 looke what hee gaue that did they eate, and yet 
 all this while hee himselfe w T as at supper before 
 his Disciples, or else they were deceiued. 
 
 Feck. You ground your faith upon such authors 
 as say and vnsay, both with a breath, and not 
 vpon the Church, to whom you ought to giue 
 credit. 
 
 lane. No, I ground my faith vpon Gods word, and 
 not vpon the Church : for if the Church bee a good 
 Church, the faith of the Church must bee tryed by 
 Gods word, and not Gods word by the Church : 
 neither yet my faith : shall I beleeue the Church be- 
 cause of antiquitie? or shall I giue credit to that 
 
28 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 Church which taketh away from mee a full halfe part 
 of the Lords Supper, and will not Lay-man receiue 
 it in both kinds, but the priests only themselues, 
 which thing if they deny to vs part, they deny us 
 part of our saluation : and I say that it is an euil 
 and no good Church, and not the spouse of Christ, 
 but the spouse of the diuell, which altereth the 
 Lords Supper, and both taketh from it, and addeth 
 to it: to that Church I say God wil adde plagues, 
 and from that Church will he take their part out 
 of the Book of Life : you may learne of S. Paul, 
 how hee did administer it to the Corinthians in 
 both kindes, which since your Church refuseth, 
 shall I beleeue it, God forbid. 
 
 Feck. That was done by the wisedome of the 
 Church, and to a most good intent to auoid an 
 heresie, which then sprung in it. 
 
 lane. O but the Church must not alter Gods 
 wil and ordinances for the colour or glosse of a 
 good intent, it was the error of King Saul, and 
 he not onely reaped a curse, but perished thereby 
 as it is euident in the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 To this M. Feckenham gaue me a long, 
 tedious, yet eloquent reply, vsing many strong 
 and logicall perswasions, to compell me to haue 
 leaned to their Church, but my faith had armed 
 
OF THE LADY IANE GRAY. 29 
 
 my resolution to withstand any assault that words 
 could then vse against mee : of many other articles 
 of religion we reasoned, hut these formerly 
 rehearsed were the chiefest and most effectual. 
 
 Subscribed 
 
 Iane Dudley. 
 
 This catechising argument between the Lady 
 Iane and M. Fakenham was held in the Tower 
 publiquely, before diners worthy and noble per- 
 sonages, in all which shee bore her selfe with 
 such a modest humility, yet so honourably stout 
 in all thinges, which either concerned her God 
 and her religion, that shee rauisht and stole vnto 
 her, all the hearts of her auditory, while M. 
 Fakenham lost much of that good opinion of his 
 learning, which formerly for a long time he had 
 enioyed : insomuch, that finding his own weak- 
 nes and his much disability to refell her truths 
 with his scholastical fallacies hee grew into a 
 little choller, and vsed vnto her some immodest 
 speeches most vnsuitable for his grauity, to 
 which only her smiles and pacience g'aue answere, 
 and amongst the rest comming to take his leaue 
 of her, hee said, Madam, I am sorry for you and 
 your obstinacy, and now I am assured you and I 
 shall neuer meete againe. It is most true sir that 
 
30 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 wee shall neuer meet againe except God turne 
 your heart, for 1 stand vndoubtedly assured that 
 vnlesse you repent and turne to God, you are in 
 a sad and desperate case, and I pray to God in 
 the ho wells of his mercy to send you his holy 
 spirit for hee hath giuen you his great guift of 
 vtte ranee, if it please him to open the eyes of 
 your heart to his truth, but at these wordes he 
 rudely departed without further answer, while the 
 Saintlike Lady withdrew herselfe into her priuate 
 bedchamber, where sliee bestowed herselfe in 
 most deuout prayer, till the night before her 
 dealh, at what time sliee took a faire new Testa- 
 ment in Greek, on which after shee had read a 
 while, offering to close vp the book shee found 
 in the end thereof some few leaues of cleane paper 
 vnwritten, which as it were awakening and 
 incyting her zeale to some good and charitable 
 office, shee took penne and inke and in those wast 
 leaues wrote a most godly and learned exhortation, 
 which as soone as slice had finished it, shee closed 
 vp the booke and deliuered it to ber seruant to 
 beare vnto her sister the Lady Katherine, as the 
 last token of her loue and remembrance, which 
 was with great diligence performed. The tenor 
 of the exhortation was this which followeth : 
 
OF THE LADY IANE GRAY. 
 
 31 
 
 AN EXHORTATION WRITTEN BY LADY IANE DUDLEY, THE 
 NIGHT BEFORE HER DEATH IN THE END OF THE NEW 
 TESTAMENT, IN GREEKE, WHICH SHEE SENT TO 
 HER SISTER, THE LADY KATHERINE GRAY. 
 
 I haue heere sent you (my deare sister Kathe- 
 rine) abooke, which although it be not outwardly 
 trimmed with gold, or the curious imbroderie of 
 the artful’st needles, yet inwardly it is more 
 worth then all the precious mynes which the 
 vast world can boast of : it is the booke (my 
 only best and best loued sister) of the law of the 
 Lord: it is the Testament and last will, which 
 liee bequeathed vnto vs wretches and wretched 
 sinners, which shall leade you to the path of 
 eternall ioy : and if you with a good minde reade 
 it, and with an earnest desire follow it, no doubt 
 it shall bring you to an immortall and euerlasting 
 life : it will teach you to liue, and learne you to 
 dye: it shall win you more, and endow you with 
 greater felicitite, then you should haue gained by 
 the possession of our wofull fathers lands : for as 
 if God had prospered him, you should haue in- 
 herited his honors and manors, so if you apply 
 diligently this booke, seeking to direct your life 
 according to the rule of the same, you shall be 
 
32 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 an inheritor of such riches, as neither the couetous 
 shall withdraw from you, neither the tlieefe shall 
 steale, neither yet the moathes corrupt: desire 
 with Dauid (my best sister) to vnderstand the 
 law of the Lord your God, Hue still to dye, that 
 you hy death may purchase eternall life, and trust 
 not that the tendernesse of your age shall lengthen 
 your life: for vnto God, when hee calleth, all 
 howers, times and seasons are alike, and blessed 
 are they whose lampes are furnished when he 
 commeth, for as soone will the Lord be glorified 
 in the yong as in the old. 
 
 My good sister once more againe let mee 
 entreat thee to learne to dye; deny the world, 
 defie the diuell, and despise the flesh, and delight 
 your selfe oncly in the Lord : he penitent for 
 your sinnes, and yet despayre not : be strong in 
 faith, yet presume not, and desire with S. Paul, 
 to bee dissolued, and to be with Christ, with 
 whom, euen in death there is life. 
 
 Be like the good seruant, and euen at midnight 
 be waking, least when death commeth and stealeth 
 vpon you, like a theefe in the night, you be with 
 the seruants of darknes found sleeping, and least 
 for lack of oyle you he found like the fiue foolish 
 virgins, or like him that had not on the wedding 
 
OF THE LADY IANE GRAY. 
 
 33 
 
 garment, and then you he cast into darknes, or 
 banisht from the marriage : reioyce in Christ, as 
 I trust you doe, and seeing you liaue the name of 
 a Christian, as neare as you can follow the steps, 
 and be a true imitator of your master Christ 
 Jesus, and take vp your crosse, lay your sinnes 
 on his back, and alwaies imbrace him. 
 
 Now as touching my death, reioyce as I doe 
 (my dearest sister) that I shall be deliuered of 
 this corruption, and put on incorruption : for I 
 am assured that I shall, for loosing of a mortal! 
 life, winne one that is immortall, ioyfull and euer- 
 lasting: the which I pray GOD grant you in his 
 most blessed hower, and send you his all-sauing 
 grace to liue in his feare, and to dj^e in the true 
 Christian Faith : from which in Gods name ] 
 exhort you that you neuer swarue, neither so 
 hope of life, nor feare of death : for if you will 
 deny his truth, to giue length to a weary and 
 corrupt breath, God himselfe will deny you, and 
 by vengeance make short what you by your 
 soules losse would prolong : but if you will cleaue 
 to him, hee will stretch forth your dayes to an 
 vncircumscribed comfort, and to his owne glorie : 
 to the which glorie God bring mee now, and you 
 hereafter, when it shall please him to call you : 
 
 D 
 
34 
 
 THE LIFE JR JEATH 
 
 farewell once againe (my beloued sister) and put 
 your onely trust in God who onely must help 
 you. Amen. 
 
 Your louing Sister. 
 
 IANE DUDLEY. 
 
 AFTER the Lady lane had finished this exhor- 
 sation to her sister, and sent it away by her 
 seruant, there came into her two Bishops and 
 other learned Doctors, who likewise held with 
 her more than two howers conference, striuing 
 with all their powers to haue drawne her to haue 
 dyed in the obedience of their Church and 
 fellowship, but found themselues infinitely de- 
 ceiued : for her faith beeing built vpon the rock 
 of Christ, was by no worldly perswation or com- 
 fort to bee either mooued or shaken, so that 
 after the expence of time and the losse of 
 much speach, they left her, (as they sayd) a 
 lost and forsaken member, but shee, as before, 
 prayed for them, and with a most charitable 
 patience endured their worst censures. 
 
 The next day she was called downe to goe to 
 the place of execution, to which shee had prepared 
 her selfe with more diligence then either the 
 
OF THu 
 
 Y IANE GRAY. 
 
 35 
 
 malice of her aduersaries could desire or the 
 vigilance of any officer for the discharge of his 
 duty expect, and being come downe anddeliuered 
 into the hands of the Sheriffes, they might behold 
 in her a countenance so grauely setled with all 
 modest and comely resolution, that not the least 
 hay re or mote either of feare or griefe could be 
 perceiued to proceed either out of her speech or 
 motions, but like a demure body, going to bee 
 vnited to her hearts best and longest beloued : 
 so shewed she forth all the beames of a well mixt 
 and tempered alacrity, rather instructing patience 
 how it should suffer, than being by patience 
 any way able to indure the trauell of so greeuous 
 a iourney, with this blessed and modest boldnes 
 of spirit vndaunted and vnaltered, she went 
 towards the scaffold, till whether through the 
 mallice of some great aduersary or the indiscre- 
 tion of the officers (but the latter is more 
 credible,) shee incountred vppon the way (as 
 shee went) the headlesse trunke of her new dead 
 Lord and Husband the Lord Guilford Dudley, 
 at that instant returning from the scaffold to the 
 Tower to bee buried, this spectacle a little startled 
 her, and many teares were seene to descend and 
 
36 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 fall vppon her cheekes, which her silence and 
 great heart soone dryed, and bceing now come 
 vppon the scaffold, after reuerence done to the 
 Lordes and others in Commission, (turning her 
 selfe round about to the people) sliee spake these 
 wordes as followeth. 
 
 THE LADY IANE DUDLEY’S WORDS VPON THE SCAFFOLD 
 BEFORE HER DEATH. 
 
 MY Lordes, and you good Christian people, 
 which come to see me dye, I am vnder a law, 
 and by that law (as a neuer erring Judge) I am 
 condemned to dye, not for any thing I haue 
 offended the Queens 31aiesty, for I will wash 
 my hands guiltles thereof, and deliuer to my 
 God a soule as pure from such trespas, as inno- 
 cence from injustice, but onely for that I con- 
 sented to the thing which I was enforced ynto, 
 constraint making the law belceue I did that which 
 I neuer vnderstood : notwithstanding, I haue 
 offended almighty God in that I haue followed 
 ouer-much the lust of mine owne flesh and the 
 
OF THE LADY IANE GRAY. 37 
 
 pleasures of this wretched world, neither haue I 
 liued according to the knowledge that God hath 
 giuen me, for which cause God hath appoynted 
 vnto me this kind of death, and that most 
 worthily, according to my deserts how bee it I 
 thanke him hartily that hee hath giuen me time 
 to repent my sinnes heere in this world, and to 
 reconcile my selfe to my redeemer, whom my 
 former vanities haue in a great measure displea- 
 sed. Wherefore (my Lords, and all you good 
 Christian people) I must earnestly desire you all 
 to pray with me and for mee whilst I am yet 
 aliue, that God of his infinite goodnesse and 
 mercy, will forgine mee my sinnes how number- 
 lesse and grieuous soeuer against him: and I 
 beseech you all to heare mee witnesse that I 
 heere dye a true Christian woman, professing and 
 auouching from my soule that I trust to be saued 
 by the blood, passion, and merits of Jesus Christ 
 my Sauiour onely, and by none other meanes, 
 casting farre behinde mee all the workes and 
 merits of mine owne actions, as things so farre 
 short of the true dutie I owe, that I quake to 
 thinke how much they may stand vp against me. 
 And now I pray you all pray for mee, and with 
 
38 
 
 THE LIFE AND DEATH, &C. 
 
 me, and at those words she repeated the Psalme 
 of Miserere mei: which done, she said : Lord 
 saue my soule which now I commend into 
 thy hands, and so with all meeknesse 
 of spirit, and a saint-like pa- 
 tience, she prepared 
 her selfe to the 
 blocke.